Protecting freedom of thought and conscience within the international community of nations

Canada’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion and Belief invite you to a conversation with Dr. Andrew P. W. Bennett, Ambassador for Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom.

This event will take place Monday, June 17, from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, located at One Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza, 885 Second Avenue (14th Floor), New York, NY 10017. A light lunch will be provided.

Ambassador Bennett is the first Ambassador for Canada’s newly created Office of Religious Freedom and this is his first visit to the United Nations. Please join us for an unprecedented opportunity to learn about Canada’s new initiative for international religious freedom and to share the concerns of NGOs working in this field.

You must register by Thursday, June 6 to attend this event. Please email mdedora@centerforinquiry.net with your name and organization, and put “Canadian Mission June 17th” in the subject line. If you do not register, security cannot let you in. You must also bring ID to gain admission on the day. Thank you in advance.

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More about Ambassador Bennett:

Dr. Bennett is a public servant and academic with an extensive educational background in history, political science, and religious studies. He received a Bachelor of Arts in History (1st Class Honours) from Dalhousie University in 1995, a Master of Arts in History from McGill University in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Edinburgh in 2002. In addition, he is in the process of completing a part-time degree in theology in Eastern Christian Studies at the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies at Saint Paul University in Ottawa.

Dr. Bennett has worked for the Privy Council Office, Export Development Canada and Natural Resources Canada in a wide variety of analytical, research and corporate roles. He has also held roles as Professor and Dean at Augustine College in Ottawa, as a Scholar Expert on the Americas Desk with Oxford Analytica and as a Researcher with the University of Edinburgh’s Institute on Governance where he focused on the process of devolution in Scotland.

Dr. Bennett is a leader in his community, actively involved with the Shepherds of Good Hope mission in Ottawa and the Government of Canada’s Recruitment for Policy Leaders program. He is also a religious leader in his capacity as Subdeacon and Cantor with both the Holy Cross Eastern Catholic Chaplaincy and St. John the Baptist Ukrainian-Catholic Shrine, both in Ottawa. He previously served as Vice-President and Chairman of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute Foundation.